Coincidence
by PanCoco
Summary: A story about nobility and ties that were destroyed long ago. Now three kingdoms are at war and a king searches for something precious. No one knows if it can be found and no one knows what really happened that night. Now it is up to an Earl who likes to play detective, a duke's tomboyish little sister, a grumpy long-haired noble-man, and an amnesiac to save the land. (side laven)
1. Their Last Day

**This story idea came to me last night and I'm so excited to start writing it. Hopefully you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. It is really loosely based on a certain movie and I mean reeeeeally loosely based. I own neither D. Gray Man and I wouldn't want to since i probably wouldn't be able to do it justice. **

**Anywho, thanks for reading~**

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Long ago the noble King Mana ruled over the three great nations of Noah, Brasia, and Digrayma. He lived in a beautiful white castle. Each year he held elaborate balls for the people of Digrayma, where his castle was. Anyone from other lands could attend.

He had two children; they were twins. Allen and Helena looked oddly similar. Both had brownish-red hair and silver-blue eyes. They were 10 years old. Mana adored his children above all else. He had a habit of spoiling them but made sure they knew to be polite and kind. On a normal day, Helena would be in the gardens picking flowers for all the servants and people on the streets she met. She was loved by all and widely known as a kind princess with a warm heart. She loved her brother and always brought him the prettiest flowers she could find.

Of course Allen always accepted her flowers. For the most part he was always around Mana. He was the older of the twins by a few minutes and was first in line to the throne. He was always studying or following Mana around the house. He was just as polite and kind as Helena but hardly ever left the house. Everyone knew the habits of the twins. They were an odd pair. One was studious and the other did nothing but play but both got along extremely well.

One day, Allen had agreed to take time away from studying to play with Helena outside. The made was making them her special sweet pies today. It was a special treat. It was a good day; Mana didn't have much work to do that day. The family decided to have a picnic in the beautiful courtyard gardens.

"Father, look! There's some butterflies!"

Helena loved butterflies. The courtyard gardens were home to a rare breed of butterflies that had various vivid colored wings. There was countless species of flowers there. It was no wonder Helena spent most of her time there.

Helena got up suddenly and tapped Allen on the shoulder. Soon the whole family and some servants were involved in a game of tag. When Helena was finally tired out she forced Allen to make flower crowns with her for everyone. Mana stayed out with them to watch the sunset. When it was bedtime Allen was in his bed about to fall asleep when Helena got up from her bed and started poking him.

"What do you want now?"

"Can you pick flowers with me tomorrow?"

"Don't you have violin lessons tomorrow?"

"Wait, Allen, I thought Wednesdays were your days?"

"I already learned the song. Father wants to make sure you learn it by this weekend though."

"But Jane said the stargazers wouldn't be in full bloom after tomorrow!" Helena stated to tear up. Allen hated seeing his sister cry.

"How about I pick them for you tomorrow? It won't be the same but at least we'll have some for decoration for the party this weekend."

"You'd do that for me?" Helena sniffled.

"Of course, just make sure you practice well. Uncle Neah is really looking forward for us to play that song at his birthday party."

"You're right! Lenalee's coming over too! It'll be so much fun."

This coming weekend was Neah's birthday. There would be a large party. Mana wanted Allen and Helena to perform a song for the occasion. Allen had easily learned his piano part for it but Helena had been distracted by picking all the decorations. Neah loved them as much as Mana did. Lenalee was a dear friend of them. She was one of the less pretentious nobles.

"Lena said she was going to introduce us to her new friends."

"I wonder what they're like."

"If they're anything like her I bet they're wonderful."

Allen yawned. He was too tired to stay up any longer. Helena finally went back to her bed and went to sleep. Hopefully she'd finish her violin lessons quickly so she could play with Allen.

The next morning in another castle…

Lenalee sat at a small table with her two guests. Lenalee was going on about the party they were invited to. Kanda and Lavi had never been to the King's castle but they weren't particularly excited about going. Lenalee, on the other hand, was burstingwith excitement. She couldn't wait to see Helena and Allen. She hadn't seen them in a month. Digrayma was a large country and they didn't live close to each other.

Lavi had just moved in with his grandfather who lived nearby. His father had died years ago and his mother was now too sick to take care of him alone. Lavi would become an Earl and inherit the family fortune when he was older, but for now he was a 13 year old boy having a tea party with his friends.

Kanda was one of the adopted sons of Tiedoll who was a Baron. They were all nobles and had got along easily. Lenalee didn't really get along with most girls her age since they were usually snobby. Helena, however, was her best friend. Allen was a close second though.

At that moment Kanda got up to get some cookies from the pantry. Lavi looked around the room. It was a really fancy room. Lenalee's older brother, Komui, was a Duke. That was the main reason Lenalee got to be close to the royal family.

"So, tell me more about your friends. What were their names again?"

Lenalee lit up immediately. "Helena is beautiful and Allen is just so adorable. They're quite different from each other though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well Helena is such a pretty girl and she has her own personal living room for guests and it is one of the most beautiful rooms I've ever been in. She loves flowers and always wears such elegant dresses at her father's parties. I swear they're more stunning than the adult's dresses, but she is a princess after all."

"Sounds like she's one of those snooty girls Bookman introduces to me all the time."

"Oh no, she's one of the sweetest most kindest people I've ever met. She always smiles and she's so full of energy. All the servants love her. She's my bestest friend ever."

"If she's anything like you I'm sure she'll be nice. Isn't that a bit cliché though, the whole sweet and pure princess thing? Doesn't it get boring? No offense to her but for once I'd like to hear about an interesting princess."

"Interesting? She can dance, sing, play violin, draw, and many other things. She's just so talented…"

"Look that's nice and all but I was sorta hoping for something… cooler. That's typical princess stuff."

"Hmph, you just don't understand."

Lenalee admired Helena even though the princess was 2 years younger than her. She was everything most fathers wanted. She would no doubt easily find a suitor. Lenalee was having trouble doing some of these things. She really wished she could be a beautiful lady like her mother was. Whenever she saw the younger sister she couldn't help imagine her mother being proud of a daughter that wasn't even hers. Regardless of this, she loved Helena as much as she could love any sister.

"Anyways… What about Allen? What's he like?"

"Allen? Well, he studies a lot. I didn't talk to him as much but he was really polite. He spends most of his time studying or following the king but the times we did get to hang out he was surprisingly fun."

"Still sounds boring."

"Well what do you want from them?"

"I want… what if they led double lives and were secretly assassins from the future-"

"Lavi, they're 10."

"Maybe in the future everyone looks younger."

"Shut up."

"If you marry the prince you could become a queen."

"I don't like him that way."

"Why not? You said he's adorable. You already get along with his sister."

"Allen's like a little brother to me. Besides, I like someone else."

"Who?"

"You don't need to know."

"Is it a forbidden love? Did you have a love at first sight with some farmhand down in-"

"Lavi, shut up!"

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**For those of you reading my other story, I am definitely not giving up on that. This story however, will be a lot less confusing if I can help it. It's a lot more... linear. Don't worry though I assure you I'll make this one just as interesting.**

**Don't forget to tell me how you feel about the story. Criticism is helpful too, just remember to use constructive criticism. If any of you can guess what movie it is (extremely) loosely based of before I get to chapter 5, you might win a prize. It will definitely not be of monetary value but if you like my writing enough to analyze it, I'd be willing to write you something. We can even make a game out of this :3 Don't just go naming random movies though... that's no fun.  
**


	2. Downfall of Digrayma

**Honestly****, I'm already writing chapter 4 of this thing. I really have no life during the summer... Not that I have one during school but eh. It's okay though because I love writing ^~^ I'm not sure if you want an explosion of updates something more organized so for now you just have to deal with me writing my heart out.**

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The next morning, Helena woke up Allen a few minutes earlier than usual. Allen grumpily got ready for the day. He had promised to pick flowers for Helena after breakfast.

"How much flowers do you even need?"

"A thousand."

"You're kidding."

"Fine, how about enough for three bouquets?"

"Well, I want one for myself. Also, It's Neah's birthday so he deserves one and Lenalee is my best friend."

"Alright then."

Helena practically forced Allen to eat his whole breakfast within minutes. Mana asked them what they were up to. Helena innocently said that Allen was in the mood to pick flowers. After breakfast Helena went with Mana into the music room. Their tutor always came early.

Allen walked out into the gardens. He honestly didn't know where to start. He didn't really know how to cut flowers either. He also didn't know how much flowers to put into a bouquet. Meanwhile, Helena had the whole gardens memorized. He decided he'd go ask Jane. Jane led him to the Stargazers which were pretty much the farthest flowers from the castle. Among the flowers there was a bag and a note from Helena.

"_My darling brother,_

_Inside this bag is a snack, some trinkets, and my own flower journal. It contains every flower species this garden holds throughout the year. I even included little drawings! I knew we wouldn't be able to pick flowers together but I hope you appreciate this time outside in the gardens. You don't go outside much and I just wanted you to feel what I feel when I'm alone amongst all these beautiful flowers._

_~Love, your darling sister"_

Helena never failed to surprise him. Allen flipped through the book. Helena truly had a talent for drawing. The beautiful colors of the garden were alive in the book. It was almost as if you could feel Helena's kindness and innocence through the book. He recognized the bag. It was a messenger bag Helena always carried around. She had many random items in it.

There was money, jewelry, papers, pens, some photos, drawings, and lots of trinkets. If something fell off her dress, she put it on her bag. If she received a small present it would go in her bag. It was a pretty leather messenger bag. Helena had taken the task of making it girly and cute. There was colorful ribbons and lace on it. Allen felt weird carrying it around.

Allen decided to start picking flowers for the bouquets. Jane told him to put his two rings in the bag before starting. Apparently Helena had a habit of dropping jewelry around the garden and Jane had no intention of dirtying the family ring. Coincidently, Allen found one of Helena's necklaces on the pathway.

Allen would probably have to have a talk with Helena about this. The necklace was given to her by Neah. It was a golden locket with many jewels on it. Neah sure wouldn't appreciate her losing it. For some reason, only Mana had the key to the locket.

The twins had spent many hours wondering what was inside. Sometimes it seemed to glow with a mysterious power. Allen always thought they had imagined it. If it was so important why would Neah entrust it to Helena?

Allen was almost done picking flowers when another servant ran up to them and frantically screamed at Jane in a language he didn't understand. Jane looked terrified and told Allen to grab his stuff. Allen put the locket in the bad along with the note. He was surprised when Jane led him away from the castle. If there was a problem wouldn't they be safest. Suddenly Allen realized Mana and Helena were in the castle and started to struggle. Jane pleaded for him to calm down.

Jane led him through some corridors to the outside of the castle. Allen heard a scream. He turned around to see Jane's body fall lifeless to the ground. There was blood everywhere. The intruder who had killed her looked him in the eyes and smiled a crooked smile.

Allen ran as fast as he could. He held onto the bag his sister left him. Another servant saw him running and helped him into a hidden passageway. The servant knew that the only hope left was for Allen to survive so right before they got out he gave Allen some instructions.

"Your highness, outside this door is a forest. Run as far as you can. Don't stop for a moment."

"What about you?"

"I'll stop the intruder from catching up. Don't worry about me, just go as far as you can. Go into the town and don't find a nobleman. They will help you without a doubt."

Allen didn't want to leave the servant alone but he knew he had to. He did the only thing he could; he ran. As he looked back one last time, he saw the castle in flames and prayed his family would be alright. He wasn't so sure. He disappeared into the forest and that was the end of the reign of King Mana.

Running through the forest he decided the bag would hold him down. If Helena and Mana were really gone, he wanted to have something to remember her but he wouldn't be able to remember her if he died too. Once he deemed he was far enough from the castle he looked for a good spot to bury treasure. Somehow, he stumbled right into it and hit his head. There was a clearing in the middle of the forest.

There was a small house. It was a small shelter in case Mana was stuck outside during a storm or other bad circumstances. Mana occasionally hunted and decided to build a small shelter just in case. It was the size of a room and had a table, a chair, and a bed. Allen walked inside for a moment. Only members of the royal family knew about it but he just couldn't leave the bag in an empty building. He exited the room and looked at the surrounding trees. All the trees looked alike except… one of the trees was a lot shorter. Allen dug a whole near it and put the bag inside. After covering the hole he went back into the room to think. He looked through the cabinets for something useful. He found a piece of paper and pen and wrote a quick note.

"_Near the hunting shelter in the forest by the castle under the shortest tree_."

He needed to remember. He put it in his pocket and looked around some more. He stopped to look in a mirror for a second and noticed something strange. His hair was turning slightly gray, a whitish-silver color. He had heard stories of people's hair changing hair color from shock. Suddenly it hit him; his family was most likely dead. The kingdom was without a ruler. He had just seen his servant and friend, Jane, die in front of him. He started to cry on the bed. He had to do something.

He stepped back out into the forest. He had to find help. He ran as fast as he could. He finally reached a town full of people. The town was in chaos. People were screaming and running everywhere. There was fire everywhere. Allen ran up to some random person and asked them what was wrong.

"What's wrong? The king is dead and the kingdom is being taken over by those horrid Noahs! That's what's wrong!"

Noahs? All the kingdoms had lived together in peace for as long as he could remember. Allen started to cry. Why would they hurt his father? Before he could even turnaround he heard an explosion and the last thing he felt before passing out was horrible pain in his face.

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**In the Kingdom of Digrayma, the prince and princess are loved by all. If one had to survive, would they prefer a kind queen or a wise king?**


	3. The Adventure Begins

**Hello again. I think our story truly starts here. **

**As always, I do not own D. Gray Man. I'm not if it's actually necessary to say that each chapter, but oh well.**

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Five years later from the events of that day, a war was brewing between the three kingdoms. The small but powerful kingdom of Brasia had formed an allegiance with Digrayma. Neah was now King of Digrayma.

He had come home the next day to deserted castle. The surrounding town and forest were searched for the bodies. In the end, only two bodies were found in the castle. One clearly belonged to King Mana. The other body belonged to one of the twins. The fire had made it hard to figure out which twin the body belonged to. No one had survived to tell the tale.

Unfortunately, Neah had been too busy with the chaos that ensued to deal with the remains. A quick funeral was held and Neah proceeded to deal with the mess. With the help of other nobles, King Neah was crowned King of Digrayma.

Recently, however, there had been rumors that one of the children could be alive. King Mana had apparently been murdered over a mysterious item. Neah sometimes felt guilt at handing the item over to his brother. If one of the children really was alive, maybe they had the item, a locket that would give them the power to win this war.

King Neah decided to hire a well-known detective. He was an earl by the name of Lavi. King Neah was surprised when Lavi was the one to contact him first. Lavi simply stated that he had promised a friend that he would find out what happened that day.

So there Lavi was sitting across his old friend Lenalee with a folder in his hands. Kanda was coming over later to help out with the case.

"Lavi, do you really think you can do it?"

"You know me better than anyone, Lena. Of course I can do it."

"I just want them to have peace… and if one of them really did survive…" Lena choked up. She couldn't stand not knowing what had become of her friends. Five years later it hurt just as much as it did back then.

"According to the papers, only one of the children's bodies was found. They were young enough that it was hard to identify them just by height. They were twins after all and neither had hit puberty. The fire was bad enough that they couldn't identify the gender of the body."

"…Are there any other clues?"

"Most of the garden was burned as well except for the farthest corner. There is strong evidence that work was done there. Someone had been gathering flowers or something. Whoever was back there could have easily escaped by going through some hidden passageway. In fact, two dead servants were found in the passageway."

"What if they were trying to help?"

"Maybe, or maybe they could have been escaping themselves."

"I doubt it… The servants of the household were extremely loyal. They loved the children so much."

"Who do you think survived?"

"Hmm… I'd have to say Helena."

"It's not that I wish for her to live over Allen but Helena was the one who was always in the garden. If I remember correctly, Allen had piano lessons on Wednesdays."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah… Helena was so excited to show me a song she and Allen had been practicing."

"Hmm… alright let me write this down."

As Lavi was writing down their notes, Kanda walked in and sat down besides Lenalee.

"Was there anything missing from the scene of the crime?"

"Good thinking, Kanda. The murderers did not come for money."

"Then what do you think they came for?" Kanda believed King Mana had been killed by Noahs.

"King Mana apparently didn't have much work lately. I doubt it was over a new law or anything of that sort." Helena had written a few letters to her. One had arrived the day they found out about the death of King Mana. It was sent from the day before they died.

"Lenalee, can I see the letter from Helena?"

"Sure… I have it in my room. I'll go get it right now."

Lenalee got up and walked out of the room. Kanda looked at Lavi for a while. Something had been on his mind since he got here. He didn't want to bring it up in front of Lenalee though.

"Do you remember five years ago when we were in this very room? Lenalee forced us to have a tea party. She was so excited to see her best friends. Next thing you know, they're dead and the kingdom is shambles. Now there's a chance that one of them could be alive… What would even happen if they were still alive? There's no doubt they'd have changed."

"It gives her hope. She's a smart girl; she'll be understanding if her dear friend isn't the same as before. The world can be a cruel place."

"But why is the King so insistent on finding them now all of a sudden? Whoever survived probably didn't survive out in the real world. There's been so much reports of Akuma attacks."

"Between you and me," Lavi looked around to make sure Lenalee wasn't nearby. "The kind isn't looking for his long lost niece and nephew. He's looking for something he gave to his niece a long time ago. With so much evidence pointing to the survival of the princess, there's a chance it might be out there."

"What if the Noah took it?"

"If they took it, we'd all be dead by now."

"Something that powerful… and you entrust it to a little girl?"

"Hey, it worked didn't it?"

"Looks like it."

Suddenly they heard steps coming and they stayed quiet. Lenalee entered with a smile and handed Lavi the envelope. She had a few other similar envelopes in her hand. It had a seal stamped with the family crest. The letter looked almost as if it had just arrived. Lenalee had taken good care of it.

"Sorry it took me so long. I keep it in a very safe place."

"Understandable."

Lavi read the contents of the letter. All the information seemed to match up.

"_Dear Lena,_

_I'm soooo sorry I haven't written in a while. Today was just such a wonderful day. Father hasn't had much work to do lately so we had a picnic in the garden. I made Allen take a break from studying. I'm so excited to see you this weekend. Tomorrow I'm going to pick some flowers for us and Uncle Neah. I really like the stargazers this year. I'll make you a beautiful bouquet. _

_Oh, and we're going to perform a song for Uncle Neah. I can't wait for you to see it. I still haven't learned it completely but I'm going to practice as hard as I can. I just can't wait! I really want to meet your friends. I finally completed my flower journal. It has drawings and information on all the flowers that are planted in the castle gardens throughout the years. I'll show you at the party. _

_With love, Helena"_

"Everything seems to match up with the letter. She's has decent writing skills for a 10 year old." Lavi decided this was more than enough proof that Helena was the one that had survived.

"So you think Helena was the one that survived?"

"It's hard not to. Can I look through these other letters?"

"I suppose."

Lavi looked through the letters. He didn't really like the thought of going through Lenalee's private messages. He had to find something on the necklace. It wasn't long before he actually did.

"_Lena!_

_Uncle Noah got me the most beautiful locket ever. It's so mysterious too. I swear it glows sometimes. I don't know what's inside it because father has the key. Allen and I stay up sometimes and guess what's inside. He says we're just imagining things. I know he believes in it as much as I do though."_

She goes on to talk about other stuff but Lavi already has what he needs. He writes down that first paragraph with the rest of his notes.

"I think I have all I need."

Lavi said goodbye to Kanda and Lenalee. He had to go see the king and tell him what he had found. Soon enough the whole Kingdom would be in search of Helena and that would help them find the locket.

If they found Helena, what would she be like? Would she be as kind as she was five years ago? She was just 10 years old.

Little did they know, they were in search of the wrong person. Meanwhile, the little prince was searching for something as well. He just didn't know what it was.

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**In the next chapter: What happened to Allen in the past five years? **

**To be continued...**


	4. Chance Encounter

**Long time no see. Welcome to yet another exciting installment of Coincidence. **

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A young boy was sitting in a field. He was almost about to fall asleep when someone tripped over him.

"Damn it, Alfie. Don't fall asleep on the ground."

Allen glared at his younger brother Henry. It had been 5 years since their mother had adopted him. Martha had been in the town at the time. Since there was a party soon, merchants put out their best items in hopes of catching the attention of nobles.

Martha was a mother of three children not including Allen. Jim was the oldest at 20 years old now. He had left the house to work. Henry was 12 years old; he liked to run around in the fields. Nina, the 8 year old, was probably nearby playing with her dolls.

"Hey Alfie, I made some friends by the river!"

"That sounds fun. Go away and play with them."

"Alfie, you're no fun."

Henry ran along to go play with his friends. Suddenly, Allen heard their mother calling him. When he got to their small house, a large carriage was parked in front of their house. Sitting in their living room, was a tall man with long red hair.

"So this is the boy?"

Allen looked at his mom and then at the strange man. After a long awkward silence, Martha finally introduced the two.

"Alfie, this is the Duke of-"

"Just call me Cross. I want to talk alone with him."

Martha silently left the room. Allen didn't like the way Cross acted. He had heard that a lot of nobility was rude or pretentious but he hadn't had enough experience to be sure. Allen was pretty sure Cross was the only nobility he's ever met.

"So, Alfie, who picked that name for you?"

"Martha did."

"You were adopted 5 years ago… Do you like it here?"

"I guess… It's alright."

"I hear you're a smart kid. What if I said you could come with me and learn anything you want?"

"You're trying to adopt me?"

Allen noticed that Cross kept looking at the scar across his eye.

"More like… I want an apprentice and I think you'd be a good choice. Martha's thinking of getting rid of you soon anyways. Why not live in luxury?"

"She wants to help me move out and get a job, not sell me to some pedophile."

"I'm not a pedophile. I get lots of women."

"Whatever."

"Just answer my question, are you willing to come along or not."

"Depends."

"On what?"

"Hmm… I want an allowance, my own room, and I get to eat whenever I want."

"Is that it?"

"Who else lives with you and what are your rules?"

"I live alone; there are a lot of servants around though and I always have visitors. You can't go out without telling me, you can't break stuff or make a mess, don't complain about noises you hear at night coming from my room, and you have to call me master."

"Are you sure you're not a pedophile?"

"It's normal for an apprentice to do that."

"…"

Allen decided he might as well take this opportunity. After telling Martha his decision, Allen packed what little he had to call his own and was on his way to Cross' manor. Soon, he was situated in a large room of his own. It was larger than his house. He put his stuff in the drawers. The room felt empty in a creepy way. The room was completely white with no curtains and no color anywhere. Allen decided he'd buy some stuff for it later.

The next morning he was led to an overly large dining room with a table big enough for like 15 people. It was awkwardly quiet with just Allen and Cross. There were servants standing around.

"Cross…"

"I said to call me master."

"Alright then, master. I want to go to the store."

"I figured you'd want to decorate that room of yours. I have arranged for a carriage and an escort to the nearest town market after breakfast."

"Uhhh… thanks I guess."

After breakfast Allen went to the nearest market town with two servants, Roy and Lucia.

"Have you ever been here before?" Lucia asked Allen.

"No… I haven't been around much."

"May I ask what you're looking for?"

"I want to decorate my bedroom."

Lucia nodded and led him to many different tents. Roy followed behind quietly and held their stuff as they walked along. Cross had given Allen more money than he knew what to do with. Allen decided he might as well go into the more expensive tents. They ended up with multiple colored curtains, drapes, rugs, bed sheets, etc. While Roy left to store the stuff in the carriage, Lucia and Allen were deciding what furniture to get.

They ordered a wooden round table and some chairs. Allen bought some vases to put flowers in; Lucia said she would help him pick some in the garden. Something about picking flowers made him uneasy but it felt familiar. Allen bought some random paintings with weird designs on them.

"Your room's going to look like a circus." Lucia joked.

"Anything's better than the mental asylum it is now." Roy commented.

Suddenly there was a commotion in front of a tent they hadn't visited yet. A man was standing on top of a crate and shouting to a crowd.

"Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Digrayma, is alive! Princess Helena is among us!"

The crowd cheered. Lucia and Roy clapped at the news.

Allen was confused. "What's going on?"

The shouting man seemed to reply. "The Earl of Bookman, Lavi himself, has found evidence pointing to her survival. They King is offering large amounts of money to anyone who can find her!"

Allen decided to look around the large tent. There weren't that many people in it since everyone was outside listening to the shouting man. There was a lot of expensive looking jewelry and portraits of the princess. The young princess was short, with long reddish brown hair and silvery blue eyes. Each portrait had her in extravagant dresses. Lucia looked at the fabrics on the other side of the tent.

"She was only 10 years old… It's hard to believe she survived." A guy in a hat and trench coat stood next to Allen.

"Who the hell are you?" Allen didn't even notice the guy sneak up on him.

"I can't give you my real name because I can't be noticed but you can call me Deak."

"Hi… Deak. Why are you talking to me?"

"Aw, c'mon don't be rude. I just wanted to talk with someone interesting. You seem interested in this painting. What do you think about it?"

"I think it's a nice painting. The artist did a good job and the subject looks nice."

"I've never met her in person but the paintings look pretty accurate according to the photographs."

Allen noticed the guy had an eye patch. Maybe he was a pirate. He had red hair underneath the hat.

"Why do you look so… weird?"

"I'm incognito." Deak smiled at Allen.

"Why? Are you a pirate?"

Deak burst out laughing.

"I like you. Wanna get something to eat?"

Allen knew it wasn't a good idea to go with strangers but he was hungry and he had moved in with a certain stranger after talking to them for a few minutes. Unfortunately, he forgot to tell Lucia.

The two boys were seated at a table in a small pub. Allen had ordered enough food for five people much to Deak's surprise.

"So… you hungry?" Deak was concerned.

"Yeah, I guess… Don't worry, I always eat a lot though. It's not like I'm starving." Allen reassured the older boy.

"Alright, so tell me about yourself. I don't even know your name."

"I don't know yours either but it's not like I have anything to hide. I'm Alfie."

"Where are you from?"

"Well right now I'm living with this guy I met yesterday. He has a huge house and tells me to call him master whatever."

"Wait what?" Deak almost spit out his drink.

"Oh gods no, it's not what it sounds like. I'm his apprentice. He thought I was smart so he took me in so I could learn stuff from books. I was shopping for stuff to decorate my room because it's empty and creepy."

"Where did you live before that?"

"I was living with this woman named Martha. She kind of adopted me five years ago and took me in. It's weird…. Just yesterday, I was lying down on the ground and Henry tripped over me."

"Sounds nice to have siblings… I'm an only child but I've had my best friends since forever. They're the best. You should meet them one day."

"Are you sure? I thought you had to keep your identity a secret…"

"It's okay if it's you. You seem like a nice kid."

"Kid? I'm 15, how old are you?"

"Older than you."

"By how much?" Allen glared at Deak. He wasn't about to get called kid by someone who didn't look much older than him.

"Three years."

"That's not enough for you to call me kid."

Allen and Deak talked about different topics and Deak was impressed that Allen knew a lot of interesting facts.

"How'd you learn this?" Deak was amused.

"I don't know. I probably read it somewhere. I'm not even sure if it's true."

"But it is; I'm a very intelligent person as well."

"How so?"

"I solve mysteries." Deak whispered.

"Like… the kind where you find out who ate the last piece of cake? Cause I've had to do that before."

"No, I mean… murder mysteries and disappearances."

"Disappearances… Like that princess? Is that why you were in that tent?"

"Maybe." Deak smirked.

Lucia burst into the pub at that moment.

"Alfie, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Allen smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to almost give her a heart attack.

"I'm sorry…"

"Aren't you one of Cross' servants?" Deak notices Cross' emblem on the servant's uniform.

"Y-yes, sir."

"Alfie, you didn't tell me you lived with Cross."

"I didn't think you knew him." Allen wondered who this Deak character really was.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I must take Alfie back home. It's been a long day." Lucia waited for Allen to clean up so they could leave.

"Bye Deak." Allen wasn't sure what else to say. It's not like they talked much.

"Don't worry, Alfie. I'll visit you soon."

Allen nodded at Deak and exited the pub. He'd have to talk to Cross about Deak. Even though it was an alias, there was a chance Cross would have some information. Even if he didn't, Deak promised to visit him. Soon, he would be abandoning everything he knew.

* * *

**Who is this mysterious Deak person? I bet most of you already know .-. one more chapter until the guessing game is over~ If you're not sure what the guessing game is, it's at the end of the first chapter.**


	5. Recruiting

**Last Chapter: "Deak" and "Alfie" meet under false names.**

**No own D. Gray Man**

* * *

Allen had forgotten all about the mysterious stranger while they were decorating his room. His room did end up looking like a circus but it comforted Allen in a strange way. Lucia had bought a small portrait of Princess Helena for herself.

Allen wondered how a little girl could bring hope to so many people. He figured she was probably dead by now whether or not she survived that particular night. He remembered reading about it often. There was a small library near his house and he had read every book in there at least twice during his five years there. Of course, he wouldn't tell Lucia or Roy his thoughts. He had learned his lesson a few years ago.

_Everyone in the small village was assembled at the church house. It was two years after the King's fall and Neah was getting the kingdom back together. The priest was going on about how one of the children could still be alive. After a bit of discussion, the mood of the church house had turned dark as a cruel yet crucial question had been asked._

* * *

"_Who do we want to live?"_

"_Why would you ask something like that?"_

_Nobody wanted to answer because it would imply that you wanted the other child to die. A lot of people started to debate on who would be more useful to the kingdom. Quite a few people sided with the Princess. She had been the one to go outside the most and help others._

"_We need someone who is compassionate and kind like her highness. She shines like a beacon of hope wherever she goes."_

"_But the prince is intelligent and knows how the castle works; he was always by his father's side."_

"_Then who's body do you think is by the king's side right now?"_

"_Don't you dare say it."_

"_Even I know that the prince is probably dead. The princess spent most of her time in the gardens and could have easily escaped."_

_The adults continued arguing and Allen stared in wonder. Martha sat quietly listening to the arguments. _

_Allen turned to Martha, "Even if one of them survived they're probably dead. I mean, there was a lot of riots during the time after the king's murder."_

_Silence. Everyone had turned around in shock. Allen was just a 12 year old boy. Martha had received some glares and disapproving murmurs and after that, Martha told Allen he wasn't allowed to talk about these matters again to anyone outside of the family._

* * *

He really didn't mind; he liked keeping thoughts to himself at times. Sometimes though, he wished he had someone to talk to. He had hoped that Cross would talk to him about such things but Cross had been out all day. Surely, a noble would have a different opinion on the disappearance of the princess than some villagers and servants looking for hope.

Allen was lying down on his bed reading a book. He was not particularly attached to it. It was a book about the politics of Brasia. Allen remembered that Brasia had an alliance with Digrayma. Somehow he felt like he had learned all this before. Cross' library consisted of one bookshelf. It had about 30 books. Most were about the government and the history of the three great nations. Some were more about philosophy and poetry.

They had lived in harmony for over a thousand years. The king of the three nations ruled from Digrayma with a trusted friend caring for the other two nations under his guidance. A few years ago, Noah broke away from Digrayma under the rule of the Millennium Earl and there had been tension there ever since. Brasia broke away soon after but kept an alliance with Digrayma.

Allen closed his eyes. These books wouldn't satisfy him for long; he felt like he had had a lifetime of lessons on these three countries. He wanted to learn something else. He wanted some science books and maybe some fiction but he'd wait until he was through with Cross' collection before asking.

* * *

A few weeks had gone by and there was no sign of Deak. Allen planned on asking Cross about the mysterious guy but he seemed busy all the time. By busy he meant out drinking or spending time with women of questionable backgrounds. Whenever he was actually home he was sleeping. One day, Cross was finally home for dinner. Allen was frustrated that he had run out of books.

"Are you actually going to teach me something or are you going to continue sleeping around?"

Cross laughed. "I'll have you know, my 'sleeping around' is a favor to a friend of mine."

"How does that help your friend?"

"That's none of your business. If you want to learn something, go read a book. You have money now; go invent something or whatever it is you plan on doing with your life."

"Maybe I would if you actually had some science books."

"I probably do… somewhere around there."

"Cross, I have read every single book in that 'library' of yours and have found no knowledge actually useful to me."

"What do you want me to do then?"

"I don't know… get me some science or math books."

"Don't you do anything for fun?" Cross scoffed.

"Get me some fiction books then, maybe something about magic."

Cross sighed. "Maybe it's time I introduce you to my friend."

"Is it the one your whores? I'm not interested in that kind of fun." Allen stated blandly.

"No! I mean the friend I'm helping out."

"I don't think I want to meet him…"

Cross was stumped. He could tell Allen about Bookman and the investigation Lavi was leading. Allen was a smart kid; Lavi wouldn't mind. Besides, Lavi had been pretty insistent on wanting to meet Allen these past few weeks. Cross had been too busy with his "interrogations."

"Alfie, you're a smart kid. I think you can handle a bit of responsibility."

Allen was confused by Cross' sudden serious tone. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure, even with your memory loss, you know about the Princess."

"What about her?"

"My friend Bookman's grandkid is searching for something so I've been helping out by questioning people from places nearest to the castle. To you it may seem like I've just been visiting a lot of pubs and whorehouses but when you think about it, the most likely place for a beautiful young girl to end up in during a time of chaos, is probably not 'pleasant.'"

"If he's looking for something… you mean he's not actually looking for the girl?"

"Let's face it, Alfie. I have almost no doubt that she is dead and if she's alive she's definitely not the benevolent and innocent girl everyone is hoping for. There's hope, just not for her. The item we're looking for could change the fate of Digrayma. It is a vital weapon in this war."

"What if the Noahs have it?"

"They don't"

"How do you know?"

"We'd already be dead."

"What is this object?"

"I'm not sure exactly but I'll let Lavi fill you in on everything else."

"Lavi?"

"Yeah, He's been wanting to meet you for a while."

* * *

**Coincidences can be strange. A prince loses everything including his memory and now he searches for his dead sister. When will everyone realizes the peron they are looking for is right under their noses? Lavi may have met Allen under a false name but Allen had done the same to him. **

**Sorry again about the slow updates... I promise I'll never give up on this story though. It'll take a bit but in the end we get there :3 **


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